뉴스레터

Who Is Woo Yong-jeong?

This year marks 120 years since the enactment of the Korean Empire Edict No. 41 (1900. 10. 25). Edict No. 41 states that Seokdo(Dokdo) is within Uldogoon's jurisdiction, so it is mentioned whenever it discusses the sovereignty of Dokdo. However, we do not discuss the fact that the report of government official belonging to ‘Naebu’ had a great influence on the process until the edict was enacted. (*‘Naebu’ is the government office that was in charge of the interior administration during the late Joseon Dynasty, and is the same as the current Ministry of the Interior and Safety.)

The name of the government official belonging to Naebu is Woo Yong-jeong, born in 1849. He became the government official of Naebu in June 1896. Looking for the history book, it is recorded that he donated 50 jeon to the Independent Association in March 1897. He was appointed as the inspector of Naebu in February 1898, and his title was also the inspector when he investigated Ulleungdo in June 1900.

When investigating Ulleungdo, he was called a visiting committee or an investigating committee. After that, he was dispatched to Pyeongan-Namdo and Bukdo to inspect the administrative achievement of provincial governor and goonsoo. In August 1902, he became a chief of staff. In September 1905, he represented the director of the National Hospital Kwangjewon, which was directly run by Naebu. In June 1906, he was appointed to Yeongdeok County. By this time, his name can also be found on the member list of Daehan Jaganghoe. In June 1907, he was included in a list of people who used public funds at will, and disturbed the regulations of taxes, and at the end of 1908 he was dismissed from the Yeongdeokgoonsoo at his request. Looking at these activities, he seems to have been interested in reforming society and strengthening the nation. His main career is the inspector of Naebu, Yeongdeokgoonsoo. Therefore, his investigation of Ulleungdo as an inspector has important meaning in his history and in the reorganization of the administrative organization of Ulleungdo.

『Uldogi』, a record left by Woo Yong-jung after he surveyed Dokdo and Ulleungdo in June 1900. 

(Collection of Korea University Library)

Woo Yong-jeong Surveying Ulleungdo

Woo Yong-jung, who was in charge of investigating Ulleungdo, left Incheon Port on May 25, 1900 and arrived at Busan Port on the 27th. He met with the public official of Dongrae gamriseo, the tax accountant E. Laporte of customs, Masasuke Akatsuka, the deputy consul of the Busan consulate, and the police, and left Busan on the 30th and arrived at Ulleungdo on the 31st.(*gamriseo was the government office in charge of the administration and trade affairs of the port of open port during the Korean Empire) The survey team was a total of 10 people, staying on the island from June 1 to 5, and the survey was conducted according to the criteria prepared. They investigated three Japanese on June 1, investigated Ulleungdogam Bae Gye-joo on the 2nd, and investigated on the 3rd day in a way that confront them. On the 4th, he took a boat to look closely at the sea around the island, and also toured the Waeseonchang, Hyunpo, Taeha and Official Residence. On the 5th, Woo Yong-jeong received a petition submitted by the residents for their complaints, and after completing the official duties, he listened to the situation after the reclamation from the elderly. The investigation team left Ulleungdo on the morning of the 6th.

Woo Yong-jeong noticed the matters that the residents should observe. The main contents are as follows. When the residents colluded with the Japanese and cut the wood, the wood was confiscated and the person was ousted from the island. When carrying the goods out of the island, it should be a ship of Ulleungdo, and the goods on foreign ships should be belonging to Ulleungdo Company. It also states that residents should buy sailboats, establish schools, and have facilities related to salt farms. This is a part of what the government had envisioned at the time. He submitted a 『Report』 to Naebudaesin after the investigation and attached the details to the 『Hoorok』. The contents of the 『Uldogi』 are often duplicated with 『Hoorok』, which seems to be an draft or personal document for the report. The cover of 『Uldogi』 is 『Uldogi - attach a proposal』 and is now owned by the Korea University Library. However, the attached proposal(1904) has nothing to do with the edict No. 41. Although it is called 『Uldogi』, it is difficult to know the detailed bibliography because it is mixed with various documents and the handwriting is different.

The Situation of Ulleungdo in 1900 and Provisions Relating to Taxation in the Edict

Woo Yong-jeong witnessed a scene in which a Japanese merchant ship came in, and 70 people including a logger were getting off the ship. According to his findings, Ulleungdo had 400 households and 1,700 people. There were 144 Japanese, and 11 ships were docked. Woo Yong-jeong thought that the most urgent problem was the lack of a ship in Ulleungdo. So, although he had not yet received instructions or permission from the central government, he provided the island with money to buy a ship. In particular, he confirmed the situation in which the Japanese took out the wood and grain of Ulleungdo. In this regard, Ulleungdogam received 2% of taxes from Japanese and connived it. Woo Yong-jeong also found a record of the tax payment of the Japanese as evidence of this fact. All of this was reported to the central government by Woo Yong-jeong. And this report became the background of the enactment of Article 4 of the Edict to collect taxes and make expenses.

Woo Yong-jeong met several people and heard about the island's reclamation situation. So it is presumed that he heard about Dokdo, but there is no sign that he mentioned Seokdo(石島) in historical records. Article 2 states that the location of the county office is designated as Taeha-dong, and Ulleungdo, Jukdo, and Seokdo(石島) are under jurisdiction. Seokdo(石島) is written in Chinese characters in the meaning of stone island, but local residents called 'Dok-Seom'. The people who came to Ulleungdo before the reclamation were Jeolla people, and they called it 'Dokseom', a dialect meaning stone island when referring to Dokdo. This name was passed on to the residents who started living in Ulleungdo after the reclamation, and it was passed down until after the Japanese colonial period. In 1947, all scholars who witnessed Dokdo directly called it 'Dokseom'. The fact that the name Dokseom originated from Seokdo(石島) proves this. They did not know that there was an edict 41 in 1900 or that the Seokdo(石島) was listed. This proves that Woo Yong-jeong heard what Ulleungdo residents called 'Dokseom' and reported it in the official document as Seokdo(石島). Woo Yong-jeong said he heard strange stories from the residents. Wasn't it about the Gangchi(Korean Sea Lion) in Dokseom? However, he has not mentioned 'Seokdo(石島)' or 'Dokseom's Gangchi. This is what I think is the regret from Woo Yong-jeong's record.